NEW YORK, April 22, 1997 — Microsoft Corp. and Adobe Systems Inc. today announced a relationship to jointly develop, release and support a single Adobe PostScript
™printer driver for the Microsoft® Windows NT® operating system. The announcement was made at Seybold Seminars New York 97.
Designed for use with all PostScript printers, including Adobe PostScript 3 print systems, the jointly developed printer driver will provide significant benefits to end users, print system manufacturers and application software vendors. The single PostScript driver will provide users of Windows NT with access to the highest quality PostScript printer driver, ensuring that documents print reliably and fast – so printing just works.
“Microsoft has a thorough knowledge of its customers and understands how important printing is to those using Windows® . Because of this, it became imperative for Microsoft and Adobe to work together to deliver a feature-rich printing driver for Windows,” said Jim Livingston, group program manager, printing, Windows group at Microsoft. “The jointly developed Adobe PostScript driver will give customers of Windows access to a complete and full-featured PostScript driver. In addition, Adobe’s Internet printing solution will provide users of Windows with the WebReady printing capabilities they need to round out the robust Microsoft Internet solution package.”
“Synergistic PostScript driver development between Adobe and Microsoft will create the critical missing link between the host computer, its application and Adobe PostScript printing systems, so customers can reliably print what they want, when they want it,” said Fred Schwedner, senior vice president and general manager, Adobe printing systems division. “This jointly developed Adobe PostScript driver will allow users of Windows to have a consistent, high-quality printing experience, regardless of which application they are using. Adobe is pleased to collaborate with Microsoft to provide the best available Adobe PostScript printing driver solution for Windows NT.”
Adobe and Microsoft’s jointly developed, single Adobe PostScript driver will ensure output compatibility between Windows operating system-based software applications and all Adobe PostScript print systems. Historically, not every application provided the same printing experience, even when a single print system was used, because of multiple printer drivers. Now, with the single jointly developed Adobe PostScript driver, users of Windows NT will have an improved printing experience. In addition, users of Windows will have access to the all the unique benefits of Adobe PostScript 3 printing system, including improved performance, higher quality output, a complete localized printing solution, easier printer set up and a Web printing solution. The combined engineering and testing talents of Microsoft and Adobe will ensure the highest quality and broadest support for the full range of PostScript printing systems, including the newest Adobe PostScript 3 printers, and builds upon the earlier PostScript driver collaborative effort for Windows 95 between Microsoft and Adobe .
The new printer driver will also provide OEM printer manufacturers and application software vendors with significant benefits. The Microsoft and Adobe print driver will provide OEMs with a solid core driver that can be easily tailored by OEMs to enhance the functionality of any Adobe PostScript printing system. Because the Adobe printer driver is being jointly developed by two software experts, these same experts are uniquely positioned to provide printer-side expertise as well. Application developers will now be required to support only one PostScript driver, translating into lower development and support costs. The single PostScript printing driver will also improve application performance, with faster return to application when printing, reduced network traffic and application compatibility with all Adobe PostScript 3 printers.
Availability
Adobe and Microsoft intend to make the jointly developed Adobe PostScript driver available in the later part of 1997. Future releases of Windows NT operating systems will also support the Adobe PostScript printer driver.
Based in San Jose, Calif., Adobe Systems Inc. develops and supports products to help people express and use information in more imaginative and meaningful ways, across all print and electronic media. Founded in 1982, Adobe helped launch the desktop publishing revolution. Today, the company offers a market-leading line of applications software and type products for creating and distributing visually rich communication materials; licenses its industry-standard technologies to major hardware manufacturers, software developers and service providers; and offers integrated software solutions to businesses of all sizes. For more information, see Adobe’s home page at (http://www.adobe.com/ ) on the World Wide Web.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
Microsoft, Windows NT and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
Adobe and Adobe PostScript are trademarks of Adobe Systems Inc
